HOWARD NELSON
Cost of Care Bill Passed by the Pennsylvania House and Senate - Howard Nelson
Cost of Care Bill Passed by the Pennsylvania House and Senate
An important piece of legislation has passed both the House and Senate in Pennsylvania and is poised for signature by the Governor. No, it's not the boar hunt bill that came from nowhere and was signed by the Governor in a matter of days, but the important Cost of Care bill. What is cost of care?
The bill requires anyone charged with animal abuse to pay for the cost of the care of their animals for the duration of the court proceedings - or surrender them to a shelter. Non-Profits and licenses humane agents are responsible for conducting investigations of animal cruelty in the State of Pennsylvania, but many small organizations have backed away from this important task on account of the high costs associated with caring for the animals during what could be an extended, delayed court process. With cost of care, the owners must pay for this care and/or surrender them to the shelter for adoption.
Getting abused animals out of the cage and into a second loving home quickly is an important goal of this legislation.
Special thanks to the team of caring individuals who worked on this legislation.